Thin Ice
by Boooka
Summary: When young Buffy Summers arrives at Angel Lodge for a snowy two week stay she expects to find nothing but snow. Her thoughts are turned around when she runs into a hansome young man who flips her feelings around. Will their journey end in disaster?
1. Default Chapter

Thin Ice.

Buffy Summers stepped off of the warm, crowded coach and looked up at the large wooden lodge in front of her. The long winding path up to the big double doors was already dusted lightly with snow after just being cleared. The square windows were frosted and looked like they might shatter if touched and the wood of the lodge looked slippery with a dark grain.

The young blonde girl sighed and carefully walked away from the doors of the coach. The ground was iced over and she briefly thought that a pair of ice skates might have been a better choice than her comfy traveling boots.

As she made her way around to the side of the coach, to collect her luggage, from the side hatch, her gaze wandered back to the lodge. A funny feeling chilled her skin and rattled down her spine causing her to shiver but not just from the cold. Her feelings told her something was waiting for her inside that big wooden hotel, something that would make a change in her and in her life. Maybe her thoughts of a warm fire and a cup of cocoa had gotten the best of her as she stood there but that fuzzy feeling didn't go away.

Shaking out of her thoughts, Buffy looked down to see the snow covered ground scattered with cases of all sizes and colours. She knew hers had to be in amongst them somewhere but most of them looked the same. A simple, black but large suitcase with a small tag labeled "Buffy " could be anywhere in the pile of thirty or more cases. Her only option was to wait until the other passengers had collected their cases and left hers behind.

She was about to turn around and head back to the busses open doors and salvage some of the body heat wafting from inside when she felt a large hand cover one of her small shoulders.

"Excuse me miss, is this your luggage? "

Upon turning around she came face to face with the rather large buss driver who had got them here. Her eyes flicked to the case he was holding out of the snow in his right hand. It was her case all right. It contained the tag with her name on it.

"Yes it is. How did you know it was mine? "

Her reply sent the buss driver into a deep chuckle and he nodded down at the suitcase.

"I remembered loading it up for ya back at the airport. Hard to forget such a little lady lugging such a big case. Now run along inside and get warmed up. I expect the snow should start fallin' pretty heavy in the next hour or so. "

With that the driver handed over Buffy's case and started rummaging through another pile of cases for the crowd of people who had just exited the buss.

Buffy decided pulling it along the ice would be a better idea rather than struggling to carry it all the way up the slippery path to the lodge doors. She soon got there without any major slip-ups and pushed the oak doors open. What she found inside brought a small smile to her face for the first time that day.

A friendly looking young woman, typing away at a keyboard, checking in the tired people standing before her, occupied the huge marble desk just behind the doors and to the left of the desk was a cozy looking lounge area complete with log fire, a couple of sofas and a table laden with magazines. Behind the lounge area stood a small café type room with another desk, this time with a man behind it, and behind that desk stood all the apparatus for making all the warm drinks you can imagine.

The people in front of Buffy, who were checking in, finished and headed off to their rooms for the night. The petite blonde stepped forward and handed the woman behind the desk her pre-paid papers stating that there was already a room waiting for her and all she needed was the key.

The woman took the papers and looked over them carefully before turning behind her and opening one of the many small wooden lockers behind her. Out of the locker came a small silver key on a chain and an envelope.

"Here is your key and your welcoming letter, Madame Buffy. We hope that you enjoy your stay here at Angel Lodge. "

The woman, Buffy realized, had a heavy French accent and as she accepted the key and the envelope she muttered a shy "Merci "before heading off to find her room. The woman smiled and nodded kindly at Buffy and set to work on welcoming the next bunch of guests.

Pulling her case along the marble floor, Buffy reached the elevator and pushed the arrow button pointing up. Not less than a minute later, she heard a ding and watched the doors open to reveal a metallic looking elevator chamber. So not everything in this place was made of wood after all. She stepped inside, pulling her case with her and stood waiting in the corner. The doors slid shut and the chamber started to rise slowly.

Three shafts of light lit up the small chamber through the tiny windows in the doors on the way up and the little lights above the doors continued to ding annoyingly before they stopped on the forth floor.

Why had it stopped?

Buffy still had another floor to go before she could get out and go to her room. Maybe it was stuck. _Oh please don't let the elevator be stuck!_

Her thoughts were quickly chased away when the doors dinged and opened revealing a man standing in front of the now open doors. He looked up and his face became visible.

The breath blew out of her like a freak gust of wind had swooped along and knocked it out, stealing it. Her eyes stared at his lean frame and smart appearance, his chiseled cheeks and pale skin before they landed on his eyes. Oh his eyes they were so blue. So cool and blue but yet they seemed so warm and they sparkled and... Oh God they were looking straight back at her!!

Buffy's warm hazel eyes locked with the man's she found herself unable to look away. Did he have some kind of thrall over her?

Her thoughts were squashed again when she realized the doors to the elevator were closing and the man disappeared from her view. She stood there still staring at the place he had been in the doorway as the chamber once again started to lift up. They had been too slow, caught in each other's presence like there was some kind of spell to be broken before they could move.

The door dinged and opened one last time and Buffy realized this was her floor. She got out and dragged her suitcase along behind her as she set out to find her room. The number on the key chain said 214 and as Buffy walked along the corridor she finally came across a big oak door with the same number on it. The key fit the lock like a glove and it turned with a click, revealing the luxurious insides of the room.

The room was one of the larger suites in the building, having a large double bed, a kitchen, a bathroom, a dining area and a small balcony to watch the snowfall from. The room made her smile. She defiantly owed her sister this time. She would make that known in two weeks when she reached her final destination, her sister's house. These holidays would be the best.

Putting her case down in a corner, Buffy headed straight for the bathroom for a warm, relaxing bath in the huge marble tub that awaited her.

Buffy's tense muscles became lax under the warm water and all thoughts of strenuous life disappeared. The only thought that remained was of the man. The stranger in the elevator.

Who was he?

Would she see him again?


	2. Big Blue Eyes

This Ice.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns all...for now ;)

Morning sunshine streamed in through the balcony windows and emitted the whole of Buffy's large and luxurious suite with a golden glow. Cream coloured cords held back the thick drapes that guarded the window at night from the freezing temperatures seeping through the cold glass of the balcony doors.  
  
Buffy rolled over in her massive bed towards the doors, bathing her face in the morning light, and smiled sleepily. The bright sun was a surprise from what she had expected to see. After all the bus driver had said he expected heavy blizzards the day before but right now thoughts like that didn't matter. Buffy felt wonderful all tucked up in the warm, spacious bed, surrounded by soft pillows and cozy quilts. It didn't matter she had woken early. In fact it was part of her plan.  
  
For a long time after her relaxing bath the night before, Buffy had laid in the big comfortable bed, that sat in her room, thinking of the handsome stranger whom had captured her every thought since the incident in the elevator. His eyes. His eyes were amazing, full of sparkle and mischief and those cheekbones.... Oh those cheekbones.  
  
She had realized as she was falling asleep that she wanted to see him again but her mind was throwing mental punches. _You don't even know him. Why are you thinking about him so much? You read too many romance novels on the coach. _.  
  
These thoughts meant nothing however, when she realized that he must have been staying there, in the very same lodge that she was sleeping in! She was deeply hoping that he was still there and had not been on his way out when they crossed paths.  
  
Throwing back the covers, Buffy inched to the edge of the bed and pulled herself up into a sitting position. She rubbed eyes, stretched and yawed, trying to fend off the sleep and dreams that tried to lure her back. No. She had other more important things to do.  
  
She pushed herself up and quickly made the bed, smoothing down the creamy sheets and fluffing up the pillows, and made her way into the big green and white marble bathroom. Her clothes from last night laid in a washing basket and the ones for today hung on a hanger next to her robe on the back of the bathroom door. _Pays to be organized _.  
  
As she stepped into the shower she sighed and leaned against the wall under the warm spray. The water felt great on her sleepy muscles and she was soon wide-awake and ready for the day head. She stepped out and grabbed a big fluffy towel from the rack.  
  
When she was dry and dressed and ready for breakfast she grabbed her purse and her small silver key and headed out towards the elevator. It was only about six doors down but as she walked it felt like an eternity. Her thoughts fluttered back to that pair of enchanting blue eyes and she hurried just a little faster. Maybe he would in the elevator again!  
  
The doors dinged and opened and there was no such luck. Only a maid stood inside carrying a pile of clean towels. She stepped out giving Buffy a friendly smile and scurried off down the hall with the towels.  
  
Buffy sighed and got into the lift and pushed the ground floor button. Breakfast was served on the ground floor around the backside of the lodge on the right, the opposite direction to the social area and the front doors.  
  
The dining room was large and built like a cosy log cabin with a log fire burning in a big decorated fireplace at one end. A small shiny dance floor for nighttime entertainment occupied the middle of the room and around the dance floor in a semi-circle were tables and chairs laden with cups, plates, spoons, knives and forks. The food was set on long open tables at the opposite wall to the fireplace.  
  
The round tables, which were accompanied by about four or five chairs to each, were filling up with sleepy people who, like Buffy, had just risen from their beds. She spotted a couple of empty tables in the corner and headed for the one closest to the snapping fire.  
  
The small woman put her purse by her chair and picked up a warm, freshly baked bread roll that had been set on the small bread dish in front of her. Picking up a small pot of butter from a basket labelled ' spreads ' she ripped open the top and stuck the butter knife in scooping it out. It spread smoothly over the soft bread making her mouth water and just as she was about to put it to her mouth she stopped.  
  
Her eyes darted from the food to a pair of black shoes standing in front of her. Her eyes travelled up revealing a nice pair of black trousers, followed by a black tee shirt, covered with a red button down shirt and finally a long leather coat. The leather coat and the shirts ended at the person's neck showing a pale, unmarred throat leading up to a firm chin and then the most sculptured looking cheeks Buffy had ever seen. Her heart started to pound loudly in her chest as her eyes took their final step and came to their target.  
A brilliant, mischievous pair of electric blue eyes stared back at her.  
  
Buffy's mouth dropped open in a dumbfounded gesture and the man in front of her chuckled slightly.  
  
"So luv, this seat taken?"

Here is the chap I missed out before. Hope it makes more sense now ï


	3. Not So Bad

Thin Ice.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns all...for now ;)

Buffy's mouth was dry.  
  
So dry in fact she longed for a glass of water, something to splash her lips and allow her to talk to the handsome face looking down at her with an amused smile. He tilted his head as if trying to read what she was thinking.  
  
"What's the matter pet, cat got your tongue?"  
  
His second sentence brought her out of her hazy mind and the glaze over her eyes, which had appeared a few seconds before, cleared. She gave her head a tiny shake and a smile tweaked her lips.  
  
"No. No cats...you can sit...if you want to. It's a free lodge. Well actually it's not it costs a lot to stay here but if you're paying I guess you have the right to-"  
  
She stopped her babbling and her cheeks flushed at her nervous chatter. Why was she nervous? It was just a guy. One nice, lean, sculpted..._ Bad Buffy!! _. She looked up to see laughter in his eyes.  
  
"Quite right you are. Costs a bloody bomb for this big log house. Can't say as it's shabby thought, they do a nice job here."  
  
That accent. Oh that accent. Where was he from? Where ever it was she loved it already for spewing out this man in her direction. How was it possible to be so attracted to someone after just a few words?  
  
She watched him pull out the chair next to her and set himself down it in, all the while never taking his beautiful eyes off her pretty face. His gaze burned her skin sparking up tiny tingles in her pores. A blush crept up to her cheeks making them appear extremely rosy. He grinned.   
  
"Warm in here huh, pet?"  
  
She looked down at the plate in front of her, which held the now cold bread roll, as he reached for the basket himself and helped himself to one that was still warm and waiting to beaten. He followed the same suit she had with the butter and was soon biting into it, revealing his perfect, pointy, pearly whites.  
  
The rest of their breakfast was eaten almost silently but very slowly as if both wanted to prolong the process. A middle aged couple that nodded and smiled at them before occupying two of the chairs and chattering away in a different language later joined them.  
  
When there was almost nothing left on their table to devour and they were fully to bursting, Buffy looked up to find the man looking back at her in the same way. In silent agreement they stood and nodded a goodbye to the other, older couple and departed the table together.  
They walked around the massive marble desk at the front of the lodge to the other side and grabbed a hot drink, from the smaller desk for beverages, before settling down on a fluffy cream couch. There they sat still watching everything the other did, afraid to spoil the moment and speak. Finally one of them plucked up their courage.  
  
"Well I don't know about you luv, but where I come from it's customary to know who you take company with. "  
  
He took a sip of the hot cocoa he was holding, complete with little white marshmallows. Buffy smiled and lifted her chin before asking: -  
  
"And just where is that?"  
  
He smiled at her almost cocky curiosity and mimicked her, lifting his shapely chin.  
  
"Good old streets of London, luv. And yourself? Where do little luvs like you spring from?"  
  
She smiled at his charming choice of words and got the urge to roll her eyes slightly, which she refrained from doing.  
  
"Sunnydale, California. It's a small place but pretty quiet, although we do get a lot of weird occurrences..."  
  
She looked at his face and saw genuine interest in her and where she came from, something a lot of guys usually faked or neglected to show. All their attention seemed to go below her neck or other parts of her anatomy and that annoyed Buffy to no end. As if her dreams had been answered, finally a guy who was, maybe, different.  
  
"Get those wherever you go, luv. Seems no one can live without a bit of the abnormal but most turn a blind eye. Me, I like a bit of excitement."  
  
He flashed a mischievous grin and drained his mug of the rest of its contents, resting it back down on his knee as she followed suit and drained hers. He couldn't help but smile and the young girl in front of him who obviously was interested as he was but seemed to be holding back. Was she afraid? She had nothing to fear while he was around; he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize even a friendship with this bird. To his surprise she chirped up at him.  
  
"So I know you like hot chocolate, I know you come from come from London, I know you like excitement' She gave a small smile ' but I still don't know your name."  
  
He leaned forward and placed his empty mug on the small coffee table that sat in front of the couch. He then sat back to face her and held out his hand to take hers. Buffy responded and gave him her hand, which he brought to his soft lips. His lips brushed the back of her hand so softly she could barely feel it but that tiny gesture sent shivers up her spine.  
  
"William Giles."  
  
He gave her knuckles another gentle kiss.  
  
"But my friends and other acquaintances call me Spike."  
  
He backed his lips away from Buffy's hand, much to her disappointment, and winked playfully. His other hand came up to sandwich her fingers between both his hands as a reassuring gesture that he was not backing away.  
  
"Now how should I address you, luv? What lovely name goes with that lovely face of yours?"  
  
Damn that charm! She had a feeling it would be the end of her someday. She idly curled her fingers around the hand below hers, holding them together and turned her face up to his. His eyes smiled back at her awaiting his answer patiently.  
  
"My name is Elizabeth."  
  
She smiled and gave his hands another gentle squeeze. She moved closer as if she was going to whisper, but stated clearly.  
  
"But my friends and...other acquaintances call me Buffy."  
  
Both of them burst into contagious chuckles and smiles at the thought and look of each other. Him with his solid cheekbones, amazing eyes and platinum hair, another thing Buffy decided she liked about him and her with her sunny smile, her rosy cheeks and her golden strands of hair that hung gracefully around her face and both with their playful personalities.  
  
Spike stood and pulled her up with him, through their still joined hands, deciding to not let go of this girl. They walked to the window that sat behind the social area and watched as the sun still shone in the cloudless blue sky overhead. Melting the ice and snow to water and slush. They watched and smiled as the ground could actually be seen through the ice. Then they turned to each other.  
  
Maybe this stay wouldn't be so bad after all.

Ok next chap coming soon ï


	4. Lost

The sunshine outside beckoned to them and both decided it would be a shame to ignore the spot of nice weather around this slippery place. A walk would follow their drink nicely but it was still chilled outside and Buffy had only a sweater to warm her.

Buffy let go of a rather disappointed Spike's hand to root around in her purse for her room key. When she found it she pulled the shiny metal out and beckoned for him to follow. He complied and they made the journey up to her room still chatting idly about themselves and their lives. Each interesting genuinely in what the other had to say.

They reached Buffy's room and he insisted on waiting outside while she went in to search out her coat. i Wow what a gentleman...or maybe he's afraid someone he knows will see him come in...you think too much Buffy i .

She found her warm, beige coat and changed her shoes quickly from her formals to her snow boots and came back out into the hall to a waiting Spike.

"All set and ready to go."

"Great luv, just need a quick stop off at my room, these blasted polished things are useless for ice walking. Could do with a quick change of clothes too"

He gestured to his feet where a pair of shiny formal shoes poked out from under his black jeans. They looked very odd amongst his other casual clothes but Buffy steered clear of the subject of asking. She didn't need to, he was already explaining why.

"My boots got soaked when I arrived two days ago. I've been stuck in these bloody things since then. Should be dry by now though, we'll pop to my room and see."

Another floor down and he quickly shuffled around his room and came out sporting a pair of big, black, heavy looking boots. They certainly matched his other attire better than the other shoes did. Buffy smiled when she felt his warm hand take her small one as they walked back to the elevator. They had only known each other for a few hours and already it felt like they were life long friends.

"So luv, what's a sunny thing like you doing in all this snow eh? Can't say as you suit all the slush and black ice around. Must be you who's brought the sun with her, been soddin' awful for the last couple of days since I got here. Then Goldilocks comes a long and all is well."

Buffy blushed slightly at his charming words at her mind idly wondered if this was the way he talked to every girl he saw. She answered him politely.

"I'm on my way to my sister, Dawn's house for the holidays. She lives further up in Alaska and I'm just staying here for a while to get over travelling and give them a chance to prepare and stuff. What about you? What brings a guy like you here, no offence but you don't come across as a nature and weather lover."

He gave a laugh and shook his head lightly.

"I know enough about the land to get buy. My good old dad owned a farm back home until a year before I left for here. Officially I'm here for a business meetin' in three days but I decided to come early, make the most of staying here. It's warm and quiet and quite beautiful...just like you."

A lovely smile graced his lips and he looked down slightly as if embarrassed at letting out his thoughts. Buffy thought looked at him with such surprise and happiness, she thought her heart might melt. No man had ever said anything like that. Usually it was just the quick compliment before trying to win her over with lust. Not at all what Buffy was in to.

By now they had reached the big main doors, Spike opened them for Buffy and bend low as if in a bow for the good lady, who curtsied gratefully, and followed her out into the chilly air. Although it was sunny and bright as the light reflected off the snow, the air was still chilled and fresh. They wandered around the huge lodge and down a small path leading to the massive forest that grew and surrounded the entire place as far as they could see.

Spike kept a weary eye over how far they travelled but soon he was engrossed in a deep and interesting conversation with the golden girl walking at his side. He was completely enchanted with her like he had never been with any of the other women he had taken an interest in. She was beautiful, intelligent and bright. A warm little sun to brighten the day.

Buffy lost any sensible thought as they strolled on through the snow covered branches and the frozen leaves and twigs. They talked of life, death, their loved ones, their jobs, their likes and dislikes and of each other. How strange it was to feel so right with an almost stranger.

They talked and walked until their feet hurt and their voices might have gotten croaky. After about two hours of walking around, in what Spike thought was a small semi circle around the lodge, they both took rest on a large fallen tree and tried to get their bearings.

Spike stood up and looked right, before turning left and scratching the back of his bleached head. He sighed and went back to where Buffy was now sitting on the tree trunk resting her aching feet.

"If I'm right then we should be about half a mile away from the lodge. If we go east we should end up right out in front of the social windows alright pet?"

He tried to give her peace of mind as best he could although he struggled to get some himself. He really did think that was the case but he was starting to get a nagging worry in the back of his mind. They had strayed further that he thought they would and were much further away than he planned to go. It had also started to come down with large flakes of snow in the past half hour since they had began walking, in what they thought, was the direction towards the lodge.

He held out his hand and she took it gratefully, her hands shaking slightly from the cold. They had both reasoned that the good weather would last until they got back and there would be no need for extra insulating clothes like gloves, hats and scarves. He rubbed her hands vigorously with his trying to keep the circulation going and warm them up.

"No worries luv, we'll be back in no time."

He offered a reassuring smile which she accepted as they started off walking the way they thought was right.

The snow came down and still they walked, trees trees and more green, snowy trees. After another hour of walking through the now thickening snow and their bones were beginning to ache from the extra work and the cold that chilled their skin.

Spike looked back at Buffy who was a good few paces behind him and leaning against a tree. He suddenly wished they had never taken this walk, that they had never gone outside and that they had listened to the weather forecast.

There they were. In the middle of an unfamiliar forest.

Lost.


	5. Goodnight Sweetheart

AN: Thank you to all the reviewers it means a lot to receive your comments :)

SweetSlayer810: I'm honored you added my story to your favorites and I'm so glad you like it so far :)

CraZy4SpikE09: Glad you're liking the story and thank you for your comment on the Spuffyness. The reason it moves quite fast is because there won't be very many chapters to this story, I had gotten other messages, from other places where I've posted this story, to hurry up and put more Spuffy in and another reason...well I'm just a Spuffy fanatic myself :) I'll try to hit the point in the middle for the moment. Hope you still like it :)

Articutie: Thanks very much for your review, I'm glad you like the fic so far. As for your idea if I do decide to do something like that it will have to be near the end ;) thanks for the nice ideas :)

Carla-p: Yes I like the playful flirty approach to interest too hehe. Thanks for your review!

Cordy18: Thanks for letting me know about that double chap. I mixed them up in the documents. Glad you like the story so far :)

DingoesAteMyBaby: Glad you like it :) More soon. Promise. Thanks for the review.

All who review get credit and a message : ) just to show that I really do appreciate all the reviews I get.

And before I forget another time....

Disclaimer: I own nothing; Joss owns all....for now ;)

The snow continued to flutter down around them as the two new friends slipped and slid over the once again icy ground. The twigs, leaves and small branches, that had fallen from the tall trees above them, were quickly becoming coated in snow and hidden from view, making it very easy to trip and fall if they weren't careful.

Spike and Buffy had been going in the same direction for at least an hour but to no avail. There was no lodge, no people, no cares or coaches in site. Just the trees and the snow that had begun to come down with a little more force. The sky was becoming darker around the heavy grey of the snow clouds signaling to them, as their watches did, that it was quickly getting dark.

Buffy was trailing a good few paces behind Spike feeling extremely tired from walking all day on the tricky forest floor. Her feet and ankles ached from the cold and the rough terrain and her legs ached from the forced effort to keep up. She was freezing, tired, hungry and felt like she could cry for she knew the chances of finding the lodge tonight were dim. But what would they do? Where would they stay? Surely a night in a snowstorm would give them pneumonia or something. Then there was the fact that they had brought no food or water with them after thinking they wouldn't need it for just a small stroll. She shivered and hurried on trying to catch up to Spike.

Spike had been walking slightly faster in the last half an hour as if desperate to find something, anything that would be of help or use to them. How he wished they had never gone out but sat in front of the warm fire with more hot drinks. It was too late now. He turned and looked back at Buffy, who was clearly struggling to walk much further, and sighed. If they stopped now it could make their situation worse. The blizzard that had been expected much earlier was well on its way and promising to be ferocious. Stopping would slow them down; keep them from getting closer to the lodge where they needed to be. On the other hand he was feeling tired and hungry himself and wanted nothing more than to just lay down and close his eyes He wiped the tiny snowflakes from his eyelashes and strode over to her in his large strides.

"Come on Buffy just a little further ok? Then we'll find somewhere to rest up for the night. Find a bit of shelter and we'll be fine."

She looked up at him with shiny eyes that looked like they might spill a dam. She knew they wouldn't and couldn't find their lodge tonight but the thought of being out here, in the freezing cold with all those snarling Canadian animals that she so often heard about, terrified her. Something soft and chilled had taken one of her freezing hands and she looked down to see it was his white hand holding hers.

"No worries luv, everything will be fine. I'll look after you. Promise."

That reassuring smile he offered her seemed to do the trick and she sniffed slightly before nodding and agreeing to walk on just a bit more. He cut his strides down for her, keeping hold of her hand to steady her when she stumbled. At least that's what we told himself. It was to help her and nothing else, no selfish reason of his own to touch her, just for help. For help.

Oh who was he kidding? Not even himself. Since the first time he saw her he had wanted to see her again and maybe get to know her He knew it took time but God he didn't want to let go right now. Her skin comforted him, as he was sure his skin comforted her. They were out there together and all they had was each other, for now, they might as well make it easier for themselves. Right?

They carried on through the thick forest, stumbling and slipping until their toes ached from the impacts. One look at Buffy told Spike she was ready to drop and he realized he wasn't much better himself. For the past few yards he had been holding both of them up, his arm now around her shoulders and her arm around his, to keep them going and refuse to fall and give in.

Buffy walked with her eyes almost. It was now almost black with darkness and not a star or the moon's face could be seen to guide them. Her exhaustion outweighed her hunger by far and she wished to curl up in a ball and sleep but the arm around her pushed her on, forced her not to give up just yet and for that she was grateful.

Their watches, although they couldn't be seen clearly for the icy glaze that had covered the faces, now ticked ten o'clock and ten o'clock was the last straw. Spike stopped them for a few seconds to look around and perhaps find something in all these branches and leaves that could give them just a little shelter, a fallen stump or a large log, just something.

He almost cried out when his cool, blue eyes came across what looked like a thicket through the heavy snow. He began urging Buffy to the left of them where the thicket stood and when they reached it he threw up a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening for the cool and almost dry place they could take shelter.

He pushed Buffy under the roof of leaves and branches that rested over a fallen log first and then slid under and followed her. It was small and low but enough for them to sit under and dry off. The very back was dry and soft, undamaged leaves covered the cold ground and it faintly reminded Buffy, in her sleepy hazed condition, of a much bigger Bambi den.

They scooted right up to the back and leaned their tired backs against the large log behind them, curling their legs slightly so they were away from the cold. The roof of leaves was only just high enough for them to sit up straight but they managed to shuffle into semi comfortable positions.

Buffy leaned her had back against the thick trunk and turned her head one way then the other, unable to pillow her ears properly because of the hard splintering wood biting into them. Spike noticed her dilemma and offered some help.

"Here pet, can't have you getting a sore neck now can we?"

He slid his arm around under her shoulders and she complied by turning slightly into his embrace, her head pillowed on his offered shoulder. When she was quite comfy she muttered a grateful but tired 'thank you' and closed her glassy green eyes. Spike watched in the minutes it took her breathing to even out and sleep to claim her before gently resting his head on her soft golden hair and closing his eyes himself.

He knew sleeping in such weather could be hazardous but sleep called and his mind reasoned that neither of them were hypothermic just jet. It was dry and slightly warm in the thicket as they gained some of their body heat back under their damp clothes.

He drifted off with a quiet 'you're welcome' on his cold blue, lips.


	6. Handicapped

b Disclaimer: I own nothing and Joss owns all....for now ;) /b 

When Spike awoke the next morning he found three things were terribly different. Firstly he was sitting on the ground. Secondly he was absolutely freezing cold and finally something small and shivery was curled up at his side.

Now this was defiantly not his nice, warm but lonely lodge room was it?

As he opened his eyes the memories of the day and night before flooded his mind and he let out a disappointed groan that it had all been a dream. The walk had been wonderful only to end in panic and danger. He looked at the girl by his side.

During the long, cold night Buffy had curled closer and closer until she was almost on his lap. Her right arm laid across his waist, holding him securely in her grasp and her head was pillowed in the junction between his neck and his shoulder. Her lips were slightly blue and she shivered slightly in her sleep, her body's natural way of trying to keep warm draining more strength from her. Her coat was soaked and almost iced over and her hair held a crusty resemblance to frozen gold.

Spike laid his cheek on the top of her head and tightened the hold he had with the arm around her shoulders to try and cease her shivering somewhat. It worked and she stopped shivering for a couple of seconds before trying to shuffle even closer to him and gain more heat from his skin. They were both freezing and pale and Spike realized that he had also started shuddering lightly.

i No good mate, you can't stay here and freeze to death. Have to keep your promise to the lady. /i 

He moved his hand up and stroked the girl's face softly, frowning at how cold their skin was. Buffy's face shifted automatically and nuzzled his hand slightly, grateful for the unconscious comfort. He smiled and whispered into her ear.

"Buffy time to wake up pet, we have to move now. Come on luv, rise and shine."

He gave her a small shake and gave her a look of sympathy when he heard her groan and shiver harder.

"Where am I? Why is it so cold?"

i Great she doesn't remember. /i 

He lifted her head from his shoulder and held it in his hands to see sleepy and slightly frightened eyes looking back at him. A look of recognition passed across her face and then a distant look as if she was straining to remember all that happened.

"I was really hoping it was all a dream but from our surroundings I'm guessing that hope is out."

She made an attempt to smile but her lips seemed stuck in a disappointed pout and for a moment, just for a moment, Spike couldn't help but smile himself and realize how cute she looked.

"Not to worry luv, we can't of gone so far from the lodge. There are four ranger's stations in this wilderness, each on a point of the compass. See this forest is a wildlife reserve of sorts. Shouldn't be too hard to find, the blizzards calmed down a bit by the sounds of the wind. Come on."

He gave her back an encouraging pat and then rolled onto his hands and knees and crawled out of the thicket he had found. Buffy was reluctant to leave but never the less, she followed him, praying there would be more shelter like this for them along the way.

When she came out of the entrance she was somewhat relived and disappointed at the same time. The snow was still coming down relatively fast but the wind had calmed down a great deal and it was possible to see a couple of meters in front of them now.

Trees, fallen logs, shrubs, branches, twigs and frozen leaves plastered the floor under and over the snow. There were no paths or trails to follow and she realized unfortunately they would have to climb over the logs and go around the shrugs, taking more time to get anywhere.

Buffy was trying desperately to keep up her cool and cheery nature but it was slowly dissolving with every glance around her she took. Tears clouded her eyes but she couldn't let them fall for fear they would freeze on her face!

Her mind whipped off of her stinging eyes however when she realized something cold and soft had taken her, rather numb, hand. She looked down at her hand to see another hand and a black sleeve attached to it. Her eyes lifted up to her left and there stood Spike, grasping her hand tightly and reassuringly with a small smile on his face. That smile did more for her in that moment than any good thoughts of warmth would and she was unable to stop the tiny smile that took over her lips.

He nodded at her and she nodded back, a mutual signal that they ere ready to go, and they began once again to trudge through the thick snow. The work was hard and made their already aching ankles hurt more. Their muscles seemed stiff and unresponsive and their skin was almost completely numbed. Both were soaked and pale and Spike knew that frostbite and hypothermia were defiantly a possible issue. But on they trudged. They couldn't stop now, not when they had just started again.

The walking warmed them slightly and their muscles protested slightly less, as if the icicles hanging from the ligaments had melted and left the tissue only chilled. Their walk was long and there were many fallen trees and slippery leaves to overcome but they went on, only talking when it was necessary to save their strength.

As they walked the heavy drifting snow became slightly lighter and after three hours only a few flakes were falling here and there. They had gone by many abandoned animal dens and Spike began wondering if there was perhaps anything in there they could salvage. Dry leaves and sticks and a place to burn them would be a Godsend for them and the Godsend looked to be in the shape of a badger den they came across three and a half hours into their hazardous journey.

"Over there Buffy. Do you see it? An old badger den, I bet he's left because of the stronger winds and heavy snow. Little bugger probably scampered into the opposite direction of the wind to hide deeper in brush. Come on we'll see what we can find."

He tugged buffy's hand gently and forced her to keep walking the distance to the den. He kneeled down on the dry patch before the den and reached inside, pulling out a dry clump of red and brown leaves. He grinned like a chesure cat and reached in to pull out some more.

A sudden roar emitted from his mouth and his eyes screwed shut in obvious pain. He jumped back quicker than Buffy could get out of the way and they both went sprawling into the snow and away from the den.

From her position, buried under Spike's back, she could just see out of the corner of her eye a very unhappy looking badger poke it's head out of the den and start scratching some of the leaves back inside.

Turning her attention to the back of Spike's head, which laid over her right shoulder, she tapped him on the shoulder and gasped out.

"Is everything ok? What happened?"

i Geez he's heavy...I wonder if he works out i 

Spike, who had been laying on something very soft and reciting every curse word her knew, turned his head and realized he had landed on Buffy. He rolled over and off of her and sat up on his knees looking at her and tightly clutching his right hand.

Buffy let out a sigh and pulled in a lungful of damp, cold air not that her lungs were no longer being squashed and looked back at him.

"The bloody little bugger bit me!"

He clenched his jaw and reverted his eyes down to his clasped hands and slowly unclasped them. As soon as he did so, small rivulets of blood made their way out from the teeth mark's left in his skin. The large punctures were ripped open wider where the badger hand locked its jaw and Spike had tried to pull his hand away. The skin on the back of his hand and between his thumb and forefinger was completely shredded and the flesh was red and bloody. Extremely painful looking.

They both watches as the blood ran dawn his fingers and onto the snow, a striking contrast. Red on white. He scooped up some snow in his other hand and packed it onto the other hand, growling when the cold icy snow made contact with the wound. The cold method worked though, and soon the bleeding had slowed considerably.

Buffy watched with concerned eyes as his face contorted every now and then in a mask of pain, which he quickly tried to hide.

"I-is it ok? Does it need stitches?

"Probably, hard luck though, got nothing to stitch it with. Just have to wrap it up and move, we can't stay here."

Spike undid his coat and pulled the corner of his red button down shirt out and ripped off a long strip. He then proceeded to wrap it and tie it around his injured hand. Buffy could see he was struggling so she took the makeshift bandage with shaking fingers and carefully wrapped it tight around his shredded flesh. She tied it carefully but tightly and then placed a hesitant kiss on top of the 'bandage'.

"All better."

She attempted a smile through her chattering teeth and was rewarded by a pained but genuine smile back.

"Come on pet, can't stay here in this dingy spot all day can we now? Got a nice warm lodge to get back to."

He stood and helped Buffy up, this time unable to take her hand. He looked down at his injured hand and then at Buffy's pale, almost blue face, and then extended his arm to her. She slipped under it and put her own arm around him, comfortably holding each other up and retaining, as much warmth was they could.

On they trudged over logs and twigs. Several times they fell and forced their achy muscles to work and pull themselves back up. Spike licked his lips and realized they were becoming dry and cracked, he stopped and made her stop so he could tilt her head up to his and he could see that her lips were also cracked and blue. They had gone a long while without food or water and they would defiantly need both.

He smiled kindly to her face and looked around. Nothing but snow, they would have to make do with it. Spike knew that eating snow could cause fast hypothermia but it was that and fight it off or keep going and pass out from hunger and exhaustion and then get hypothermia.

He let go of Buffy's waste and went forward a few places then bend down and picked up a handful of snow and brought it back.

"We need to keep up our strength so this is the only option I can come up with at the moment. Maybe we can scare up another badger later and settle out hunger."

Buffy's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she realized he might not be joking. Would they really have to resort to eating badgers? Buffy felt a wave of nausea pass over her as Spike put a lump of snow in her hands.

"Just wet your lips a bit luv, eh? It won't be too bad if we don't take too much. If we were in less of a hurry I'd wait 'till is melts but we can't afford to stop just yet."

He looked at the snow in his hands and slowly brought it up to his lips taking a tiny amount of the clean snow in and swallowing it. It felt wonderful to his throat but he knew it did nothing for their body temperature. He watched as Buffy did the same and they both dropped the excess snow that they could not afford to eat.

He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and pressed a small tentative kiss to her forehead before pulling her along once again into the drift of snow.


	7. Colour Me Hungry

AN: I'm really sorry it's been awhile since I updated but I'm having to share the computer with my cousin who happens to be a computer hog who types like an 80 year old. ;) Also a warning here: If you have problems with animal violence you might want to skip this chapter. Thanks for the reviews and keep them comingï Kitten.

The frosty faces of their watches said it was almost six in the evening and still they had had nothing to eat since breakfast the day before. Both were cold, stiff, in pain from walking so far over the frozen ground and feeling weak from hunger.

By now Spike was half carrying Buffy as they stumbled along and if he didn't keep them going she would of fallen down on the floor and been a long way in sleep hours ago. He knew they couldn't just sleep out there in a patch of snow, their body temperatures had to of dropped too low already and it scared him to think of letting then go to sleep to never wake up. He couldn't fail her.

Buffy on the other hand didn't care where she sat down and slept as long as it was somewhere. Her mind was way past rational thought and her hunger and exhaustion had gotten the better of her. She was dimly aware of a strong arm around her waste, holding her up and forcing her to keep walking. Darn that arm she was hungry and tired and all she wanted to do was sleep...but it felt right around her that arm. In a way that felt good. Buffy looked up to see Spike's face pale and slightly screwed up, looking uncomfortable. Painful even.

She shook the tiny snowflakes from her eyelashes so she could see him better and decided that his face definitely held a painful look. She lifted a freezing, shaky hand and gently ran the back of her fingers over his chiselled cheek to get his attention since her voice failed her.

He turned his head and looked down at her with questioning blue eyes that met her tired hazel ones. He opened his mouth to ask her what was up but he realised his voice too was failing him, they were both shaking and not strong enough to even talk. His eyes focused on Buffy's lips that were opened slightly and trying to force out a sound. He opened his own and managed a hoarse whisper.

"W-what is it, pet?"

She had to talk back now; she couldn't let his question go unanswered. She swallowed what little saliva she had left in her mouth and forced out a tiny whimper.

"Y-you...are you...o-ok?"

She clamped her mouth shut as the tremors took over from using her strength. Her throat felt tight and dry and if she had enough strength to cry she would of. Only the look on his face kept her from crumbling away to the ground and sobbing frozen tears. The look on his face was regretful as if he didn't want to tell her what was bothering him.

Carefully he retrieved the hand that wasn't wrapped around her out of his duster pocket and held it out for them to look at. To both their slight surprise it looked almost round like a small puffy balloon that had deflated inside a red rag.

Spike looked away from his hand for a moment and scanned the area where they were standing in. Yet another fallen log, a huge overgrown shrubbery that had wrapped itself around a tree, and fallen off onto the cold floor and more trees.

The fallen log with looked to once been a large tree and usually fallen trees soon became hollow in places like this. Animals would hollow them and use them for shelter and that could quite possible mean food.

Forgetting about his swollen hand he started moving towards the big log with Buffy pulled along at his side. He brushed the fallen snow off on the trunk and sat her down in the middle so she could rest while he looked inside. When he was sure she was safely perched there he crouched down and looked into the trunk.

At first all he saw was leaves as if the whole thing was chock full of leaves and nothing else, however, when he pulled a long stick off of a nearby tree branch and probed it into the leaves, they crumbled fell away into the long revealing that it was indeed hollow.

If he had the time and strength, Spike would of let out a whoop of joy for the trunk was plenty big enough for them to crawl into and take shelter for the evening. The leaves would only help them more and allow them to build a fire at the end of the trunk where it was dry.

While Spike was gently probing the end of the trunk with his stick, Buffy looked around and down through a tiny hole in wood. She almost jumped into the air when something moved inside. Had it been a leaf? Leaves weren't furry!

Buffy let out a strangled sound and pushed herself off on the huge log to tap Spike on the shoulder. She had already got his attention though, and a look of worry crossed his face. She smiled to let him know she was ok and pointed to the hole in the wood.

Spike abandoned his position at the end and stood up, carefully walking to where Buffy was pointing. He saw the hole and leaned in to peer into the dark insides.

A light flash of brown flew past the hole and he grinned widely. Leaves couldn't blow around that fast in a place where the wind wouldn't reach. He went back to bashing the leaves in carefully and grinned when he saw their prize.

A family of hares!

One huge looking hare sat up on his hind legs looking menacingly at Spike. This was good. This was very good but how would he get them out, pop them off quickly with as little pain as possible and keep them from scampering off?

Spike moved his good hand slightly gripping the floor and came across a large rock. That would defiantly do it. He picked it up in his good hand and whispered a silent prayer for forgiveness at what he was about to do. Then without lingering on the though he threw the large as hard as he could and hit the huge hare squarely on the head, knocking it out. He then scampered inside the log and bashed the hare over the head once more with the large rock and let out a shaky breathe when the hare breathed no more.

Pulling the hare aside he turned around inside the woody haven and shot a hand outside to motion to Buffy, who quickly climbed inside and looked at what he had done.

"Wouldn't of felt anything luv, he wouldn't of lasted the winter anyway. He pretty much barricaded himself in and ate all his nibblets too soon."

At Buffy's understanding nod eh gave her back a small pat with his good hand and proceeded to drag the hare to the entrance on the trunk

"Lean back and rest up for awhile luv. It's gonna take awhile to cook up."

Buffy did as he said and within minutes she was sleeping blissfully, away from the cold and the thoughts of the forest, while Spike searched around and cleverly made a spit to cook the hare.

He set up the spit and pilled up some dried leaves under the shrubbery he had pulled to the entrance so the smoke would not fill the log. He lit the leaves with his lighter and before long the skinned hare was starting to smell appetizing.

After three hours of thorough cooking and testing, Spike woke Buffy and they began to eat, well....more like wolf down their only food of two days and soon they had eaten all that had been rationed for that day. They would save some...just in case....

At last after two days of empty stomachs and freezing conditions they curled up together, semi warm and slightly full, both slipping into delightful sleep.


	8. Breaking The Ice

Pain.

i Pain. Oww! Oh bloody fuck the pain! Where was it coming from? /i 

Spike shifted, trying to clear his sleep hazed mind, and realized there was something on his chest. He looked down to see a small blonde head pillowed on his chest. Her cheek was pressed tightly against his comforting heartbeat through his skin. Her breathing was deep and even and she gave off a small amount of body heat. That was a good sign.

He had almost forgotten the agony he was in for a moment as he watched the angel resting peacefully with him. His arm lay curled tightly around her, keeping her close to him and she had slipped slightly in his duster under his arm adding extra warmth for them both. He shifted his arm and had to bite back a painful howl.

So that's where it was coming from.

He gently unwrapped his arm from around Buffy, letting her sleep on for a while longer, and slowly lifted ups his arm. Attached to his wrist he saw a big yellow and purple balloon that used to be his hand. He winced as he tried to wiggle his fingers and found trying to move then was useless. His hand was infected and in a bad way.

The skin looked bubbled up and hard although it was really soft and puffy. The skin around the teeth marks was so dark purple it was almost black and the bruising on the back on his hand around to the space between his thumb and forefinger were a hue of yellow, blue and a lighter purple.

"Bloody fantastic."

He muttered to him self and immediately regretted it as Buffy began to stir at his side. She stretched almost leisurely and yawned before opening her eyes and looking around.

She was warm, only slightly, but it felt wonderful after days of being freezing. She felt much stronger and remembered their feast of the night before. They were still in danger as soon as they left this place but even so she let out a small smile and looked up at the pained blue eyes staring down at her own. Her smile faded and she sat up to face him fully.

"What's wrong? You look like..."

She couldn't explain how he looked. He looked pale and drawn, as did she but his eyes held something she guessed he didn't want her to know. She raised her hand tentatively and laid it on his cheek ever so lightly as if afraid to touch him.

"Are you alright?"

Spike's eyes traveled from her pretty hazel eyes to her mouth that was speaking to him. He flicked his gaze back to her eyes and leaned closer asking for silent permission. He leaned in and tilted his head just slightly, he watched as she wet her dry lips with her tongue quickly and closed her eyes waiting for his token. He took this as encouragement and leaned in fully, pressing his snow bitten lips to her own.

Even now, in the middle of a frozen land with only a log to protect them the kiss was just as he imagined it would be since the first time he saw her. So soft and sweet like she was. His heart fluttered and he added just a little more pressure to her lips, which seemed to wake up and respond to him. He pulled away after what seemed just a few seconds and opened his eyes watching her open hers.

She smiled slightly and was happy to be rewarded with a small smile back. That linger in his eyes was still there and she desperately wanted to know what he was hiding. Her fingers wormed their way into his bleached locks of hair and she caressed his scalp soothingly.

His eyes closed and he leaned into her touch.

That was a good sign and she was encouraged by it. She continued the soft reassuring movement of her fingers through his hair and watched as his head bowed onto her shoulder kissing the juncture where her neck and shoulders met. An involuntary shiver ran through her and she felt him sigh against her skin as he began to talk.

"My hand, luv."

She looked slightly confused and ran her memory on rewind. What about his hand?

She came across the memory of that nasty little badger they had come across and shook her head slightly as she remembered. Holding his head on her shoulder lightly she took her other hand from his hair and gently took hiss bitten hand in her own lifting it up so she could see. What she saw shocked her and she felt him let out a small groan of pain against her shoulder.

"Oh Spike. Why didn't you tell me it was like this?"

He had obviously untied the bandage on the swollen limb after it had started to swell up alarmingly. She turned his hand over and looked at the punctures where the badger's bottom set of jaws had sunken into Spike's tender flesh. They were big and painful looking, the same as the ones left on the back on his hand just behind his knuckles.

"Didn't want to worry you luv, nothing we can do about it out here. Best if we keep going and look for those ranger stations that the lodge states are around here somewhere, that's our best bet."

He lifted his head from her shoulder and watched her gaze at his hand pitifully with shiny eyes ready to spill tears for his poor hand. The blood pumping muscle in his chest twisted at the look on her face.

i Wow. She cares. She actually cares! /i 

"Hey now. None of that, it's going to be just fine. As soon as we get to one of those stations they'll patch us up in no time."

He offered her a smile which she accepted and she carefully ripped a part of her thin but warm sweater, re-wrapping his hand as gently as she could, making the bandage a lot less tight but hard enough to keep his fingers immobile for the time being. With that job done she looked back at the handsome features of his face.

This time taking the lead she curled her hands behind his neck and pulled his mouth to hers into a tender kiss. Their tongues probed and tangled softly in each other's mouths and lips. Their kiss offered companionship, hope and a spark. God did she hoped that spark could grow one day.

They pulled away to breathe softly into the other's face and eyes slowly opened to gaze at mutual pairs. Both help hope and a new twinkle that had disappeared since they had gotten lost.

Spike reached out his good hand and ran his fingers through her now hay like hair. He imagined how it would feel when they were out of this mess and warmed up. Soft and silky just like her.

"Grab some of the heat we cooked luv, we'll have to take it with us. It should last us for awhile, he was a big bugger so I'd say a couple of days."

Buffy turned around and did as he said, they had wrapped it up in strips of his now tattered over shirt and she stuffed as much as she could down her pockets while he did the same. Once they had their food packed and their muscles stretched they said goodbye to their little safe haven and began trudging through the snow once more.

It had been snowing the whole night from the time they found their warm burrow to near the time they had woken up. The snow was almost knee deep and trudging through it proved hard work for their frozen warm out bodies.

They kept on; knowing that a ranger station had to be close there was one every few miles apart on this wilderness or so said the lodge. Arms wrapped around shoulders and waists for balance, support, warmth and comfort.

After four long hours of plodding through the thick and slippery snow and ice they came across something very surprising.

A clearing.

Spike looked up through their shield of trees and wondered if he should rub his eyes. At the edge of the brush they were coming through was a huge clearing, surrounded by a circle of snow-dusted trees. The snow on the floor of the clearing looked slightly icier but much less deep that the snow on the floor under the trees.

It wouldn't take them long to walk across the clearing. Only about fifteen minutes at their pace but when Spike looked up further into the distance his heart gave a jump that sparked a burst of heat and excitement from somewhere inside him.

A Tower. There was a bloody tower ahead of them!

"Buffy, luv, look! Look up, up there. It's a station pet, it's a bloody ranger station. We're almost there."

Buffy jumped at his outburst and let her eyes wander to where he was pointing with his bad hand as best as he could. She could see it! This wasn't a snow mirage was it? No if it was a snow mirage there would be a hot spring with food and drinks and a place to sleep.

Their pace quickened and soon enough they were around twenty feet out into the clearing. It was much more slippery on the clearing as if the snow had iced over underneath but neither of them thought about it, all they thought of was what was waiting for them. A warm ranger station.

At about twenty-five feet out into the clearing Spike slowed down, noticing the further out into the clearing they got the less steady his feet felt. He looked down and kicked some of the snow gently with his boot, his eyes widening in horror when he saw what was underneath.

Buffy had carried on and was now standing almost in the center of the clearing skipping along in her good mood at seeing the sight of their destination. She stopped and turned when she heard Spike almost scream her name. He looked petrified and she looked at him confused. She started to skip back to him but when he started shouting at her to stop she jumped hard to stop fast and a loud deep moan came from beneath her feet.

"No! Buffy stop! Stop! Don't move a muscle I'm coming!"

And he was walking so very slowly to her as if he was treading on eggshells. She wondered what the Hell was up with him but before she could shout she heard another slow terrifying groan came from beneath her and she realized with horror why Spike was acting as he was. Buffy's heart pounded and she felt the ice under her feet melting from her small amount of body heat. She was about to break into a run to Spike from terror before one final moan and an almighty crack broke the ice under her feet.

The ice under her opened under her weight and as Buffy started to run the ice in front of her feet gave away from being so thin and unused in the middle of the clearing.

Her scream of fear tore Spike's heart and he looked up seeing her fall forward and smack her head on the blisteringly cold ice. He broke into a run but alas, the ice under her unconscious form broke into smaller pieces melted by the deadly water under it.

A lake. The clearing was a fucking lake!

i Oh God get to Buffy you ponce, run faster! /i 

He looked at his feat hearing moan and groans from the slurping ice under his feet and he looked up from fear. Buffy.

Buffy. Buffy Oh God where was she?

Buffy's form could be seen nowhere on the ice, not a trace of her was left except for the large hole in the thinner ice where she had been sucked through into the deathly cold water.

"BUFFY!!!!!"

Sorry to put an AN here but I just wanted to appologise for the delays between chapters. I know you all hate my cliff hangers but I promise reviews will mean the next chapter A LOT quicker ;) Thank you so much to my reviewers you all rock and I love you and your comments.

Kitten xxx


	9. The Breath Of A Hero

"BUFFY!!!!"

The splintering sound of the ice as it gave out under Buffy and sucked her down made Spike feel sick and he knew that he didn't stand a chance running across the ice the way he was. He dived down gracefully onto his stomach, spreading his weight, and flattened out over the thinner ice.

When he reached the large hole where Buffy had fallen through he knew he had to get her out fast for the ice was already starting to crack again. He thrusted his good hand into the bone chilling water and cried out at the intensity of it. This was just his hand…what would it be like for Buffy who was swallowed up by it. Buffy. Oh God.

i Stop thinking you git! Search faster. Oh God hold on pet, I'm coming! i .

He knew it was useless. She had sunk too far down and he could only reach in up to his elbow the way he was. He quickly ripped off his duster and threw it as hard as he could. The dead center of the lake was far from the surrounding trees but he managed to throw his leather jacket onto the low bank and tree roots. Free of the restraining leather he moved closer and plunged his whole arm in up to his shoulder, biting back and hiss from the freezing water.

Search search search!

Nothing….nothing…noth-..No wait! Hair!

He felt something soft tangle between a few of his fingers and he knew it had to be Buffy's hair and he immediately fisted a handful of it. Uttering a silent apology he gently began to pull her up by the roots of her hair and when he could reach he pushed his other arm in and grabbed her around the shoulders. More of her body surfaced and his arms locked around her waist, hauling her out completely into his waiting and anxious arms.

He was almost sobbing in relief as she flopped into his arms and he didn't wait for one split second. He was immediately sliding away from the gaping ice hole and up on his feet running swiftly with Buffy in his arms. A surge of energy came out of him from nowhere when all he could think about was saving this angel's life.

Spike ran up the bank and dropped to his knees, gently depositing Buffy at the bottom of a large tree. He took a second to hiss for his poor infected hand that had taken a nasty bout in the icy water, before quickly turning his attention to the small woman lying in front of him. Her face was white as the snow around them, her lips as blue as the water he had pulled her out of, her temperature as bottomed out as any flat line and her chest…as still as death itself.

Absolute panic and grief took over him as he quickly placed two fingers over her neck and snatching them away to throw himself over her, his ear to her lips to listen for any sign of life. No pulse…not gentle rush of air escaping her lips…Please god no…

A waterfall of tears flooded his eyes and he was about ready to let them all fall when he remembered there was still one tiny fleck of hope. For the first time in his life he threw up a prayer for the fact his father had always been away from home as a firefighter.

He sniffed up his fears and tears quickly and pulled Buffy's coat off of her savagely. He arranged his hands appropriately over her heart and began pushing forcefully trying to get her heart to spark up and starts it's rhythm. He watched as compression after compression left the girl in front of him as lifeless as before.

"C'mon pet…Don't do this. You can't leave me here now…. Not now…Not after all this…Oh God bring her back, please!"

His words came out strained from worry, exhaustion, the cold and his tears silently coursing down his cheeks. Why was this not working? It always worked for his dad.

He quickly remembered the second part to the CPR he had learned and after fifteen compressions to Buffy's heart he leaned over pinching her nose and tilting her head back. He took a deep breath and laced his lips over hers, expelling the oxygen into her mouth and down to her lungs. He pulled back and watched her chest rise and quickly fall again. He repeated the action again and then went back to pumping Buffy's chest beginning to get frustrated.

"One breath sweetheart that's all I'm asking for…Please Buffy, stay with me. Don't give up now. We got so far."

Despair was setting in and the tears rolling down his face grew thicker. A small sob escaped this throat and in between breathing into her lungs, Spike paused to rub his face free of tears so he could see. One breath…Two breaths.

A cough.

Well more of a choke.

Water bubbled up from Buffy's lips and Spike was so shocked and over joyed he almost forgot to help her. He quickly brought her into his arms and sat her up against him, holding her head to his shoulder so she could cough out the cold murky water and breathe easier. Rubbing her back seemed encouraging and after what felt like a whole gallon of water had past from her lungs she collapsed against him and began to sob.

The sound make Spike's heart wrench but he couldn't blame her after that traumatic experience. He was sobbing too and clutching her so tightly he would of forced the air back out of her if he hadn't pulled away to look at her face.

She was a deathly pale with dark ghostly, purple circles under her eyes. Her lips were loosing their bluish tinge but her teeth chattered and her whole body was wracked with tremors from trauma and temperature loss. Her eyes fluttered open as more frozen tears flurried out and he reached up a cool hand to wipe them away. He offered her a small smile through his own tears and bent forward to place a comforting open-mouthed kiss on her forehead.

"All over pet, shh…Spike's got you now…You're safe baby."

She managed a nod and lifted her stiff arms up to circle his neck while she sat in his lap. Spike smiled and cradled her there letting out a long sigh when she buried her face in his neck and breathed on his skin gently. He rocked them both from side to side for a while, trying to sooth away the nasty event he wished he could have prevented. Shock was a killer and he was beyond relieved he had managed to snatch his Buffy from the fangs of death just in time.

i His Buffy?….My Buffy?….Yeah I like the sound of that. i 

When he was sure Buffy had calmed down, Spike unlatched her from around his neck and laid her back down on the ground to check her over for any injuries. He let her sleep while he did this, as long as she was breathing he was happy and he would make sure she got out of this mess ok. He noted fearfully that the skin of her fingers was turning a light purple, early signs of frostbite. It scared him to death for he had the symptoms too.

The ranger's stations couldn't be far away. In the summer here people would take guided tours from one of the ranger towers around the lake to taste the fresh water. If help was just through a few more trees he could do it. He could do it for Buffy.

He turned his attention back to the sleeping girl and brushed some icy strands of hair away from her frightful face. She shivered even in her sleep and he could tell it was truly unconsciousness. Brushing his fingers over her lips softly he stood up and limped back to the bank where he had thrown his coat. He picked it up taking a moment to give his knee a prod. It hurt like Hell after he hit it on the ice as he slid down to his stomach and he growled at the bruise under his jeans. No time to think for that now.

Spike returned to Buffy and carefully wrapped her up in his more or less dry leather coat and then placed her own coat on top for any extra warmth he could salvage. He lifted her into his arms and held her close afraid to ever let go for fear of loosing her again. He looked back out to the lake and cursed it for almost ruining him and taking away Buffy.

One last blink and the journey was on again, this time an extra way around the lake.

Hope was around the corner and damned if he wasn't going to find it!

To my darling reviewers : I'm so sorry! I know it's been a long time but I do have reason. School, stress, a break down a date for an operation and being sick all rolled into one. I get chronic tonsillitis and the docs have arranged to whip them out for me. After they are done I should have two whole weeks to write write write. Hope you liked this chap. Love to you all!


	10. Spike's Promise

The evening winds were rusting the trees around them and the sky was slowly darkening, clouds rolling in from the left as the far away brightness of the crisp blue sky dissolved into a flooded grey indicating darkness would be upon them soon and the snow would begin again.

Spike stopped under a gap in the thick forest brush to look up and take in a few cold breaths to see what fate would hand them. More snow?

Bugger.

He looked down at the precious cargo in his arms and bit his lip wondering whether to stop for the evening and give both of them a break or carry on just a bit closer to safety. It was obvious what he wanted to do but the exhaustion setting in over him was almost frightening. Physical, emotional and mental exhaustion plagued him and had done ever since he'd pulled the girl he cared so deeply about out of the iced over waters of the small reservoir.

She had slept nearly all day as he had carried her through the trees, slipped on ice and snagged his sore knee on everything they seemed to pass. Spike had had to stop once or twice to rest his aching leg for a few minutes and in that time he'd set her down, take her pulse and try to get her to talk to him for awhile. There had been many futile attempts to wake her which scared him more than anything and he'd had to shake her just to make her groan and open her eyes. He was sure she'd developed hypothermia after falling through the ice from the sickly tint to her usually rosy glowing skin and looking at her now told him all he needed to know. It would be much harder to keep waking her up. She was slipping away slowly and was tempted to give up himself if it were not for the drive in him to save them and see them both well and happy again.

Idly he wondered if anyone had noticed they were missing. He remembered Buffy telling him she was staying at the lodge for quite awhile so her family wouldn't know and he had no family himself in the country. They had only been gone for days but it felt like weeks, a huge weight on tired, worried shoulders. He'd been trying to hold the impending doom off but now it was coming to him in waves. He was too tired, Buffy was too sick and they were both too cold to go on like this for much longer.

The choice came back to him. Rest or fight?

Rest or fight?

He desperately wished to sag against one of the trees what would give them some shelter and sleep away the aches and pains hurting his whole body. To sleep away the freezing weather and pretend it was all a dream and he would have done if it were not for the tiny moan from Buffy. She shifted ever so slightly in his arms, her eyes screwing shut tight and then relaxing again repeating the action while her eyes fluttered under her eyelids. She sighed and moved her face against his chest unconsciously trying to create some warmth while shivers trembled her whole body.

Spike lowered his head down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead reassuring them both she was still there and he was still there and they were together. He wanted her to wake up. Look at him. Smile at him. Caress his face and tell him everything would be all right but he knew what the chances of that were. Not high at all is what they were and he knew it all to well. He was surprised however to hear he responding. It wasn't a response he could really work with but it gave him at least some peace of mind that she was still with him.

She was dreaming.

Small mutters and quiet mumbled and an occasional recognizable word would slip from her pale, drawn lips.

"Cold…. Spike…Gonna be ok…Don't…So cold…."

He listened to her, tilting his ear to her mouth to hear what she was saying and he just had to smile when he heard his name o her lips. She was dreaming about him. Fancy that. Near death and freezing and it was him she was dreaming about.

The dream trailed off and he knew what he had to do. He heaved her up to his chest again letting her head rest on his shoulder, having let her slip partially to the ground while he rested. He took one long look at her face and felt a surge of pride and love for her. Love. After just a few days?

That scared him most but he was happy to accept it.

His lips were drawn to hers and he left a soft meaning full kiss on them feeling how cold they were realizing they were both shivering he shook his head defiantly.

"Don't you worry pet, we're gettin' out of this. I promise you. We will have that warm room. We'll have the huge bathroom with the gold and marble taps and bath and all the room service we want. We'll be warm and cozy and lazy all day and most importantly'. He let a small smile hover on his lips enjoying the imagery." Most importantly luv, we'll be together. I promise you now Buffy. If it takes years to get there, we'll get out of this".

Satisfied he'd made a promise in worth of gold, one he intended to keep and fully play out, he flexed the muscles in his shoulders and feet and began walking once more in what he thought would be a good direction. Since they stopped the daylight remaining had decreased quickly and the sky was now very dull with fluffy cotton grey clouds. The shadows increased and it was hard to tell in some places were to step and where not to step. He didn't want to fall and hurt his girl after all.

The wind picked up and rustled the trees and snow covered bushes around them and Spike held Buffy tighter pulling her closer as if trying to shelter her from the cruel temperature. The rustling also became louder and a series of cracks and rumbles emerged from behind a huge fallen tree covered in shrubbery and leaves and snow.

Holy hell all frozen over could it be help? A person? A hare hunter or something? ANYONE who could help them at all… No such luck!

All hope full thoughts disappeared and were instantly replaced with terror as the snow and leaves caved over the top on the fallen tree, disturbed by the roaring grizzly bear that now stood there.

Oh.My.Gosh. How long has it been? I really need to start typing out all my stories before I post them but this one I was excited about. To everyone who reviewed all I can say is a HUGE "I'm Sorry". I did promise to continue after my operation but I didn't say when. As soon as it was over I planned to write more but I was very sick after. As soon as I went back to school I had piles of work to catch up on and after that all my mock exams. I also had to put in my college application and not to mention Christmas. With my explanations over with I really do want to give a shout out to all who reviewed. I'm sorry I can't do it individually t the moment because I'm unorganized but just let me say this…

I love to serve you. I write to please you and sometimes displease you. It means so much to have your reviews, good or bad and I appreciate your ideas and suggestions although I do already have my stories laid out I'm glad to have more ideas. You guys rock and this story is all for you.

Thank you.


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